Pirates add flair to Sail Portsmouth

A band of pirates added to the ambience as thousands visited the two tall ships docked at the Portsmouth Fish Pier on Peirce Island on Saturday.

Suzanne Laurent

A band of pirates added to the ambience as thousands visited the two tall ships docked at the Portsmouth Fish Pier on Peirce Island on Saturday.

While some toddlers quickly scurried by them on the docks, likening them to scary clowns, most children were thrilled to participate in mock sword fights and receive a "gold" coin from one of the youngest pirates, 10-year-old Riley Turgeon.

Riley's dad, Jason Antonucci of Cape Neddick, Maine, started the New England Brethren of Pirates with Brandon Berry of Manchester last year. Antonucci, 32, plays the role well. When he was just 16, he lost the lower half of his left leg to a shark attack in Australia.

"When I was around 21, I decided to become a pirate," he said. "I hand-carved my peg leg and make all my own clothes."

Berry plays the role of Jack Sparrow of "Pirates of the Caribbean" fame at the Brethren's events.

Ethan Reichert, 3, of Eliot, Maine, was at the event with his parents, William and Leslie Reichert, and relatives from Willimantic, Conn.

"I liked the swords and the pirates," he said, waving his plastic weapon.

The Piscataqua Maritime Commission hosts the Sail Portsmouth festival. This year, two replicas of the country's most historic warships — the Pride of Baltimore II and sloop-of-war Providence — are in port.

PMC Chairman Donald Coker said the event alternates between the Peirce Island Fish Pier and the State Pier on Market Street.

"Here, at the Fish Pier, we were limited to these two ships from the fleet coming up from Rhode Island," Coker said. "The draft under the ships can't measure more than 13 feet as the tide at its lowest point is 13½ feet and we have to take rocks into consideration."

Coker, now in his sixth year as chairman, said after the event ends on Sunday, the PMC will get together for a "post mortem."

"We'll look at what we did well, what we didn't do well and how we can improve for next year," he said.

The PMC begins planning for next year in September.

Coker and Vice Chairman Larry Job attend the Tall Ships of America's annual conference each year to talk with ship captains and the owners of vessels.

Coker, who is a law office consultant based in Portsmouth, has lived in the city for 37 years.

"I like being able to give back," he said. "This is a labor of love. I feel extraordinarily lucky to be in the position to do something like this."

Exhibit Chairman George Doran said there are new exhibiters at the event this year along with the New England Brethren of Pirates, including antique telescopes, Art with a Splash and the University of New Hampshire marine docents.

"On Sunday, the Knot Tyers Guild will be here," Doran said. "They are a fabulous British guild that likes to make teams from family members to tie knots."

His wife, Lyn Doran, and Lisa Mills helped organize the 100 volunteers who help out at the event.

Whaleback Regatta: Registration is open for the regatta Saturday, July 21 from the mouth of the Piscataqua River to the Isles of Shoals. For more information and to register, visit www.regattanetwork.com/event/5182.

Contemporary Coastal Issues: The Gundalow Company continues its summer concert and lecture series Thursday, July 19, hosting an evening sail with Dr. Ray Konisky aboard the gundalow Piscataqua from 6 to 8 p.m. The events begins at 5 p.m. in the Gundalow office, 60 Marcy St. Konisky, a marine conservation ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, will discuss oyster bed restoration projects in the Piscataqua/Great Bay region.

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